The Chateauguay Valley Historical Society (CVHS) has been selected as one of 18 organizations to receive funding for English-speaking heritage initiatives across the province.
The group has received $5,300 from the SHARE program, which is financed by the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN) for its project entitled Digital Roots: Uniting Communities Through Historical Knowledge and Data.
The funds will be used to upgrade the CVHS website to create a centralized, publicly accessible platform to share historical records, archival material, and community stories. The online archive will include online resources, historical documents, photographs, maps, and journal publications.
“By digitizing and centralizing these materials, Digital Roots preserves fragile historical records for future generations while making them widely accessible,” said CVHS president Ken Dolphin, who points out that the website will be available in both English and French.
The funding has also allowed for the purchase of a new computer as well as an overhead document scanner, along with the necessary elements to upgrade the website.
“It is impressive to see first-hand how hard all of QAHN’s member-organizations work to protect local history and heritage and make it accessible,” said SHARE program coordinator Julie Miller.
Dolphin highlighted the work of CVHS members Linda Scott and Hugh McColm for their dedication to the project. (SR)